Device for supporting flower-pots



v (No Model.)

l l W. D. GRIDLEY.v DEVICE FR SUPPORTING FLOWER POTS- PatentedMar. 7, 1893.

Prlmaumn. wAs

NITn-D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILMER D. GRIDLEY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING FLOWER-POTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 492,919, dated March '7, 1893.

Application tiled July 1,1892. Serial No. 438,650. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILMER D. GRIDLEY, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Devices for Supporting Flower-Pots, of which the following is a speciication.

My invention relates tol an improvement in devices for supporting flower pots in which the hole in the bottom of an ordinary porcelain or earthenware flower pot is utilized to receive the fastening devices of a gravity catch which is employed in connection with a latch for holding the pot upon its support.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure l is a view in side elevation of a pot supported upon a bracket arm. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the base support andremovable ange, the pot being omitted. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the same. Figs. 5 and 6 are views of the key for fastening the removable flange to the pot, showing it respectively in top plan and longitudinal transverse section, and Fig. 7 is a view in detail in vertical section through the socket in which the gravity catch is connected with the latch.

Thebase support for the Hower pot is represented by A and is preferably formed asa shallow cup surrounded by an outwardly extending ange or rim a. I have shown the supporting base A in the present instance as adapted to be secured to the free end of a bracket arm B, and for this purpose I have provided the bottom of the base A and the end of the arm B, the one with a screw threaded socket a and the other with a screw threaded stub b for screwing the base on to the end of the bracket arm. I' do not, however, wish to be understood as limiting myself to the bracket arm as a support for the base A, nor do I wish to limit myself to the particular cup formed base.

The base A is provided with an annular seat a2 for the reception of an annular ring or flange O to which the flower pot is attached, as will be hereinafter particularly described. The ring or flange C is locked in its seat by one or more latches D, in the present instance two, located at points diametrically opposite and pivoted to the upper face of the flange a, so as to swing over the ring or flange O when the latter rests in its seat a2. To hold the latch D in its position over the flange O, I provide a gravity catch d pivotally secured to the latch D and adapted to swing in a vertical plane transverse to the swinging movement of the latch D and to fall within a recess a3 in the edge of the ange a. As a matter of economy in the structure and assembling of the latch D and its catch d, I provide the outer end of the latch D with' half-sockets d adapted to receive laterally projecting studs d2 on the upper end of the catch d so that when the studs upon the catch cl are placed within the part sockets d on the latch and the latter is pivoted to the flange a, the catch will be thereby locked within the socket against displacement, but at the same time free to swing vertically into and out of the recess a3 in theouter edge of the rim a.

In practice I find it desirable to make the gravity catches d of some ornamental form, such for example as the tassel form herein shown,so that theyhelp to embellish the support as Well as serve to lock the latches against accidental displacement.

For the purpose of preventing the accidental removal of the ring or ange C, even though all of the latches D but one should be released, `I provide the base A at points in proximity to the seat a2 and at the inner sides of the seat, opposite the points where the latches D engage with the ring, with upwardly extending lugs a4 so that when the ring O is seated and the latch D engaged therewith, the said 'ring cannot be removed from its seat even though its opposite edge be lifted.

The ring O is provided with an upwardly extending rim c adapted to receive within it the bottom of the flower pot E. To form a rest for the bottom of the pot within the rim c,I provide one or more cross pieces c', c2 and at the central portion of such cross pieces, I provide an upwardly extending stud or bolt F having an enlarged head f.

It is intended that the bolt F shall be sufficiently long to extend through the ordinary hole e, commonly found in the bottoms of the earthen or porcelain pots E, and a short distance above the bottom to receive the fastening key. The size of the stud or bolt F is such as to leave ample room around it for the passage of water for the growing plant within the pot.

The device which l nd it desirable to employ for locking the pot to the ring or fiange C consists of a bifurcated key G, the branches g of which are separated substantially to receive between them the shank of the stud F and the under side of which is provided with a depending lug or prong g adapted, when the key is forced home, as shown in Fig. 2, to rest within the hole ein the bottom of the pot and prevent the unintentional displacement of the key. The key may be provided with a counter-sunk portion gzsurrounding the inner portion of the opening between the branches, for the reception of the headf on the bolt F. I further find it desirable to provide the inside of the key G with channels g3 so as to permit the free passage of the water from the hole e into or out f the body of the pot.

Where the base A is made in cup form, as herein shown, it will serve all the purposes of the saucer which ordinarily accompanies the pot as commonly used.

What l claim isl. The colnbination with a pot having a hole in its bottom and a supporting base for the pot, of a fastening device extending from the supporting base through the hole in the bottom of the pot for locking the pot to the base, the area of a cross section ofthe fastening where it passes through the hole being less than the area of the hole, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the pot having a hole in its bottom and a supporting base for the pot, of a stud or bolt secured to the supporting base and adapted to extend through the hole in the bottom of' the pot, the said stud or bolt being of lesser diameter than the hole in the bottom of the pot and provided with an enlarged head, and a key adapted to be inserted between the head of the bolt or stud and the bottom of the pot, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the pot provided with a hole in its bottom, a supporting base and a stud or bolt secured to the base and adapted to project through a hole in the bottom of the pot, of a key adapted to engage the stud or bolt within the pot, the said key being provided with a dependinglug or prong adapted to rest between the stud and the wall of the hole in the bottom of the pot to prevent the displacement of the key, substantially as set forth.

et. In combination, a supporting base, a ring or flange adapted to seat on the base, means for securing the ring or flange to the base and a fastening device secured to the ring or ange for securing the said ring or fiange removably to the bottom of a flower pot, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination, a flower pot provided with a flange at its bottom, a supporting base for the flower pot and a latch provided with a gravity catch adapted to engage the flange at the bottom of the {iower pot to lock it to the base, substantially as set forth.

6. In combination, the ring or flange, means for securing it to the bottom of a flower pot, a supporting base adapted to receive the said ring or flange, a swinging latch pivotally secured to the supporting base and adapted to engage the ring or flange and a gravity catch hinged to the swinging latch and adapted to engage a stop on the rim of the supporting base, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with the supporting base, a ring or flange, a latch and a catch for locking the latch, the said supporting base being provided with a lug in proximity tothe ring seat and opposite the latch for acting in conjunction with the latch to secure the ring in position, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with the rim of thesupporting base, a latch pivotally secured thereto and provided with a part socket, of a catch hinged within the part socket in the latch and locked in position between the latch and the rim by the pivotal connection of the catch, substantially as set forth.

WILMER D. GRIDLEY. y

Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, IRENE B. DECKER. 

